Kyren Williams was understandably frustrated after the Los Angeles Rams' loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, as was everyone in the team's locker room. He had a decent day, putting up 67 total yards on just 13 touches, but that certainly didn't meet his own expectations.
During a media scrum with reporters, Williams was asked why the Rams are lacking consistency from drive to drive, and his comments turned some heads.
“Can’t tell you, bro. Probably because I’m not out there,” he said.
Sean McVay said on Monday that Williams came to him about his comments and explained what he meant, which the coach "totally understood." McVay says Williams' comments weren't how he intended them to be taken, and that Williams always wants to "be that spark" for the team.
"He brought it up to me. I wasn't aware of it," McVay said. "He's such an energy for us. He was emotional after the game. I know this guy's heart. He wants to make sure that he's influencing and affecting positive change. I think what he said it was more of, ‘I just always want to try to be that spark.’ He was frustrated after the game, but his teammates know what he's about. When he explained it to me, I totally understood where he was coming from. He's a great leader for us. I think the way that it was interpreted was not what his intentions were. I know his teammates and I felt that way. He actually brought that up to me on his own. I was not aware of it until he brought it up to me.”
Williams has always been a team-first player for the Rams, even with his playing time and touches decreasing over the last couple of seasons. Blake Corum has eaten into his role but it's allowed Williams to stay fresh and more efficient when he does get the ball.
The Rams voted Williams a team captain and he's always been a leader in the locker room, which made his comments after the game so surprising. But McVay clarified what the star running back meant and went straight to his coach to explain his intentions.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Sean McVay sheds light on Kyren Williams' postgame comments about role